One Stormy Night
by Jemma4691
Summary: A short story, from Elliot's PoV, about a stormy night when a SVU member needs a shoulder to cry on.


_A/N: Thanks **Trublu** for beta-ing for me!

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It is a dark and stormy night and I have just finished up some work when you show up at my apartment. It is raining hard, and you're wearing a white blouse and jeans, your red hair falling out of the neat ponytail you wore to work today. Your shirt clings to your body and my eyes sweep over you. They finally rest on your piecing green eyes, which I realize are filled with tears.

You apologize, and say you have nowhere else to go. I smile; inside I don't care, I want you to stay. I open the door and gesture you in, ask if you need anything, and what is wrong. You choke on tears, and ask for dry clothes and a beer. I curse, because through your pain, you still look gorgeous, and so innocent. I walk into my room, find a sweatshirt and I come out. I hold it to you, apologizing because I can't find anything for the bottom. You smile, say it doesn't matter, and walk into the bathroom to change. I practically float to the fridge because you are here, you need me. I again curse silently at how shallow I am being, and I get two ice cold beers out of the fridge. Then you walk out and take my breath away. I hand you your beer and lead you to the couch. As you lean against me I feel your tears start to soak through my shirt. I wrap my arms around you tight, asking you, pleading with you to tell me what is wrong. "Don't worry," I say, "I'll protect you." And inside I know I mean it, like I've never meant anything before. I'm cradling you, stroking your back, your hair, your face. I ask you again and again, "What's wrong?" "Why do you need me?" Your lips quiver against my chest I feel it, it runs through me. Your tears are flowing more freely now. As you place a hand upon my chest and look up, your eyes lock with mine, and I feel myself catch my breath. You open your mouth, choke a little, a sob forming in your throat. You look up at me, scared, and shake your head. You can't let it out yet, and you lay back down.

Suddenly the story comes pouring out, like a burst dam, and you can't stem the flow. You were walking home from the shops, you were blitzed, thrown into an alley. He pinned you to a wall, face crushed against the brick, and you feel him, oh how you feel him. He's reaching around you, tugging on your zipper, pulling at your jeans. You feel him inside of you, pounding at you, hurting and breaking every molecule, every fibre of your being.

The past comes flooding back; you sob, you can't hold back. You want to, but you can't, not now, not now that you've opened that door. You're choking out your past in little anguished sobs. As my eyes widen, arms tighten, embrace gets more protective. I can't believe you survived all that, rescued yourself from that. After two hours you've cried yourself out, and there you are, shaking and scared in my arms. I scoop you up like a lost little puppy, carry you to my room, and place you on the bed and cover you. I kiss your forehead gently, like a father with his child, and turn to tiptoe out. You whimper, "please, don't leave." I stand still for a second, conflicted, in two minds on what to do. Should I walk out, be cautious, but leave you to your nightmares? Or run back to you, arms outstretched, protect you from the demons you released? I turn and smile, whisper "sure" and sit down next to you. You lean on my chest, hair partially covering your face, and sigh as I wrap my arms around you. I feel you drifting, drifting off to sleep. Once I know I feel you sleeping I begin to slide into unconsciousness, the week taking its toll, the _night_ taking its toll.

The next morning, I wake at your slightest movement, the slightest breath. My arms are tight around you; you whimper in your sleep. You look so damn innocent, so breathtakingly gorgeous. I watch you, I drink you in, and I realize, with a jolt, how I feel about you, how much I care for you. Your eyes begin to flutter open, as though you know what I am thinking. Suddenly, I'm hit by your huge green eyes; the eyes so innocent, yet so hurt, so injured. You whisper my name; cling on tight as I pull you close to me.

Tonight, you've made me realise that I can't let you go. I'm not going to let you go, you mean too much to me. I was so conflicted, so locked in unbearable agony, wondering whether I should do the right thing, or take a risk. But since you turned up at my apartment, I know now what I should do. Im taking a risk on you. Maybe not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but I will, and I hope you'll let me. Because I know how preciously short life can be, I know how things can change in a heartbeat, and I can't bear to lose you now, not now that I've found you.


End file.
